Cato Event Podcast Cato Institute

It has been two years since more than $2 trillion in new US industrial policy initiatives were signed into law. However, despite the much‐​publicized increases in construction spending and numerous announcements of future investments—there has been little actual evidence of the manufacturing boom that these government programs were supposed to catalyze. Instead, many projects have been delayed or, in the case of electric vehicles and offshore wind, canceled altogether, owed to both changing market conditions and many of the same economic, regulatory, and political hurdles that have long plagued US industrial policy efforts.
Please join the Cato Institute as we detail past US industrial policy efforts, the long‐​standing problems these initiatives have faced, and whether today’s US industrial policy projects appear to be heading for the same unfortunate conclusion.

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A complex array of government policies and market forces cause drug prices to be higher in the United States than other nations. Is this a problem? If so, are there better policies for determining drug prices? What is the “right” price for a drug? Panelists will discuss evidence suggesting that US drug prices are excessive and what policymakers should and should not do in response.
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May is National Small Business Month. Small businesses and startups play an important part in the technology sector, and many proposed policy changes could be particularly impactful on them. While often antitrust is thought of as a “big business” issue, the reality is that changes to competition policy, such as restrictions on mergers and acquisitions, affect businesses of all sizes.
Many proponents of antitrust policy changes assert that these changes are necessary to protect small businesses particularly in the technology sector. Some assert that there is currently a “kill zone” where successful startups are gobbled up by today’s tech giants before they can become rivals, while others say these transactions occur in a healthy market for a variety of reasons that often benefit small companies and consumers as well as larger companies. Do the data support the idea of a “kill zone”? How might antitrust changes impact the evolution of small businesses and the choices they have in their journey?

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In January 2021, Mississippi replaced its state flag, the culmination of a process that saw years of debate, protest, and fervid disagreement. Join us on May 16 for an event cohosted by the Cato Institute, Sphere Education Initiatives, and the Moral Courage Project. We’ll explore the political and social environment surrounding the flag debate and examine the skills of productive disagreement through the story of Genesis and Louis, two young people who came together to understand and learn from each other in these polarizing times. 
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As we approach the 90th anniversary of the US Social Security program in 2025, and as the program’s trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2033, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Social Security reform is essential to preserving the program’s ability to provide critical economic security to vulnerable seniors by averting indiscriminate benefit cuts, which are scheduled to occur by law when the trust fund goes to zero. Sensible reforms will ensure the program can meet this pivotal role without imposing undue debt burdens or excessive taxes on younger generations. There are further opportunities to modernize Social Security to enhance individual liberty and reduce disincentives to work and saving that undermine US economic growth.
This symposium will foster insightful discussions on the various dimensions of Social Security reform. By bringing together a diverse group of US and international experts, we will explore shared challenges and identify global lessons to inform US reform options. The insights and lessons from our conversations will equip US legislators with informed perspectives, innovative solutions, and evidence‐​based strategies to reforming Social Security over the next decade.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we approach the 90th anniversary of the US Social Security program in 2025, and as the program’s trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2033, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. Social Security reform is essential to preserving the program’s ability to provide critical economic security to vulnerable seniors by averting indiscriminate benefit cuts, which are scheduled to occur by law when the trust fund goes to zero. Sensible reforms will ensure the program can meet this pivotal role without imposing undue debt burdens or excessive taxes on younger generations. There are further opportunities to modernize Social Security to enhance individual liberty and reduce disincentives to work and saving that undermine US economic growth.
This symposium will foster insightful discussions on the various dimensions of Social Security reform. By bringing together a diverse group of US and international experts, we will explore shared challenges and identify global lessons to inform US reform options. The insights and lessons from our conversations will equip US legislators with informed perspectives, innovative solutions, and evidence‐​based strategies to reforming Social Security over the next decade.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.